MAY 15 — Takmbo (Don't want to) is precisely what’s going on in Terengganu this week.
While working in the east coast state in 2006 and being hopeless at adopting languages or dialects, I picked up only that word. It’s cutesy when the locals say it, a little worrying when I try it.
A curious musical chair game of “Don’t want this, don’t want that” transpired but came to nought this past week over there, and I want to talk about it. A short-lived-almost-a-revolution show in the same week Umno celebrated its 68th anniversary. Happy birthday indeed, old gal!
There was excitement, desperation, exasperation, noises from the gallery, radio silence from lawmakers and man-hugs to round it up. See how your favourite guys fared in this yet to be made TV-movie.
On reading signs badly
Every PM should handpick his chief minister for every state, otherwise the spirit of our federalism would slip and obduracies like differences of opinion might build steam, exactly like human right-ism which he incidentally despises. Currently, anti-human right-ism is the in-thing for our man in Putrajaya. (A work in progress word, eventually Malaysian authorities would shorten it to inhumanity — our new national ideal)
If you want to stage a seamless exchange of mentri besars (chief ministers) it would be good to get everyone onside before declaring it. Otherwise the incumbents and friends are going to scream coup d'etat, quit the party and run for the hills.
Of course the prime minister can claim that the mentri besar was already given a year to vacate his office, therefore no one needed to go amok. But a week in politics is a lifetime, and a year is 52 lifetimes. Ahmad Said could have thought that the prime minister was just kidding, he has U-turned on so many issues.
Umno HQ might have to come up with a “change MB” manual with a definite checklist. Get present mentri besar to announce his resignation, and preferably his retirement from politics. Check. Tell the future MB to buy a suit. Check. Have both outgoing MB and incoming MB to photo op with the prime minister, including a selfie to show the joviality of the occasion and how harmonious life in Umno truly is. Check. Write the appointment as chairman of important government linked company (GLC) for the kicked out MB along with an affectionate thank you letter. Check.
When the guy you want out, leaves your party along with a bunch of lawmakers chucking your state into a near constitutional Mexican standoff, everything is damage control. Don’t forget that damage control means the damage is done, only its extent of hurt is being mitigated.
The PM now looks like a man who does not read the temperature on the ground well. Either his advisers are feeding him muck or the umbilical cord from PWTC is not as life-gripping as it used to be.
Still he gets enough minutes in the play and someone sings to him Carly Simon’s You’re so vain.
Terengganu has been a powder keg for decades. There was open revolt during the 2008 General Election pre-nomination when state candidates were named, and in Terengganu they don’t like to be told by anyone beyond Kertih.
To begin with, in that state it is not Barisan Nasional vs Pakatan Rakyat. There is no coalition politics, there is just Umno vs PAS.
Which is why PAS kept quiet over the matter, they are cognisant that spats end as soon as they start in Umno Terengganu. PKR was quiet too, but their silence was a combination of being in the know and being in the doghouse currently.
I was curious that when lawmakers went missing, the Kuala Lumpur Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng was aggressively asking for a snap election in a state his party DAP can’t even get elected as dog-catcher in Terengganu!
I say this because I did not want Pakatan Rakyat to be ambulance chasers when all the pieces are arranged to suit Umno. The power of incumbency is immense.
Our eyes must always be on winning 120 parliamentary seats in the next general election — or a bit more if the delineation exercise creates more seats — and ask what can be done to lead the national sentiment for change, not fear when that time arrives.
Terengganu will continue to be a flashpoint, don’t be fooled by the PR exercise right now.
Big Country plays their only hit In a Big Country, while Umno and PAS cadres slug it out on Dataran Shahbandar.
The internal tantrums grow
Umno is filled with cry-babies. But why are they acting as such? They are because any threat is met with appeasement. Neville Chamberlain’s protégé is in charge therefore all ultimatums do not lead to the destruction of these usurpers.
There was no witch-hunt when the ex-MB raged with a few rebels and zero acrimony when the proper terms were agreed to and they promptly returned to the party fold. These guys did not withdraw their support for the present Terengganu government, they withdrew themselves from the party. That’s a big deal.
It isn’t anymore. The PM wants to keep his support base wide so he is willing to look past any indiscretions as long as everyone wears the right uniform.
Regionalists are not the only ones on his plate. The Islamists are pushing him to reject the 20th century and preferably ignore the present millennium. Mukhriz Mahathir will be emboldened further to use Kedah as his launch-pad rather than as Najib’s riposte to PAS — that moderation in a urban-rural state specialising in condom manufacturing can prevail.
Every Umno leader is already preparing his wish-list for the PM. Which means all Barisan coalition members drop down further — especially the swathe of Borneo parties.
Guess who gets first dibs on lifeboats in this Titanic sequel? Celine Dion and My heart will go on as Jack and the rest of the third class passengers sink to the ocean floor.
PKR gets reprieve
It was expected after more than half the PKR divisions in Selangor failed to execute voting day on Sunday, that Umno leaders would be taking turns giving their rival a kick up the backside.
Unfortunately for Terengganu, but fortunately for the party and its election chief Johari Abdul, Terengganu has taken up all the news oxygen.
It averted even the public’s attention from the slowly developing train wreck and asks pertinently, where do they go from here when it comes to credibility?
This one you need Tina. Miss Turner plays We don’t need another hero. Surely my party knows there is life beyond Thunderdome, and we need to get there soon-ish.
A weary nation
Whichever way you look at it the Malaysian public, despite rising cost of living, crazy traffic jams in the city and waiting for the World Cup, is hooked on political subterfuge. They almost expect and want something to happen every week, even if they realise it adds to the calamities afflicting their lives.
It is a suspicion nestled in me rising to the surface that all these things, heightened by developments like Terengganu only force the people to have a general sense of Takmbo.
They don’t know what’s coming their way, but they know there are more and more incidences and accidents they later regret having. The collective Takmbo from the people will eventually reach a crescendo.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
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